PA Hunt Cup presents $50,000 check to food bank

By MARCELLA PEYRE-FERRY, Journal Register News Service

Tuesday, January 8, 2013

Members of the Pennsylvania Hunt Cup Committee presented a check for $50,000 to the Chester County Food Bank on Mon. Jan. 7. The contribution comes from the proceeds of the 2012 Hunt Cup races, held Nov. 4 in Unionville. It is the third year that the Race Committee has selected the Food Bank as its beneficiary, and members expect the relationship between the two organizations to continue.

“The whole community contributes to the Pennsylvania Hunt Cup and in turn we contribute to the food bank because they are a good organization,” said Hunt Cup Executive Director Katheen Rengert.

The Hunt Cup also benefits the Work to Ride program, whose participants ride in the pony races and help out on race day, and the Upland Country Day School, whose eighth- and ninth-grade students sell race programs at the event, but the main beneficiary is the food bank.

“This is a huge donation for the Chester County Food Bank,” Executive Director Larry Welsch said. “We continue to see our government funding drop so any community support we can get is absolutely paramount.”

In addition to contributing funds, the Hunt Cup is closely involved in spreading the word about the important work the food bank does. On race day, the food bank has an informational area set up under a large tent for race fans to visit.

“It is important to us not just because of the money, which is significant and helpful, but also because of the awareness,” said Food Bank Board Chairman Bob McNeil. “The Pennsylvania Hunt Cup attracts so many people and many of them have no idea that hunger is affecting one out of eight people in Chester County. It’s important for us to let the citizens and residents of the local area know that hunger is a serious problem and needs to be addressed.”

In addition to accepting contributions, the Chester County Food Bank grows food and partners with area farms, community gardens and home gardeners to provide access to fresh produce for its clients. It distributes to a network of 30 food cupboards and 61 meal sites.

Over the past two years the food bank has distributed more than 1.7 million pounds of food. The organization’s newest program involves the community, the classroom and the cafeteria in an effort to provide fresh healthy food to low income school students.

“The demand for food continues to rise. We are constantly looking for food every day to feed about 40,000 families in the county,” Welsch said.

For more information, visit the website www.chestercountyfoodbank.org .